Deception
by Cruentus Caelum
Summary: Fred Weasley, infamous prankster. Gigi Arduer, notorious brain. They hate each other with a passion, so when the Weasleys team up after Hogwarts to find Fred a girl, it only makes sense that Gigi turns up. Rated for mild language.
1. In the Beginning

Gigi Arduer had been lucky enough to be born a witch. It wasn't too surprising; her parents were both magical, and some of her other relatives were the same way. Her parents were undeniably proud of their little girl, the day she got her letter that announced her acceptance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Gigi had never quite forgotten that pride. Her parents had been proud of her, wanted her to be successful at everything she set her mind to. Hogwarts, in Gigi's opinion, was one of those things that she had a duty to do her absolute best at.

No surprise that she was a total brainiac.

Her grades may as well have been absolutely perfect. She never missed an assignment, she always went over the top on essays, her potions were brilliantly concocted at least 99 of the time (although Professor Snape was reluctant to admit that a Gryffindor student could do so well at Potions), everything was perfect for her. Miss Perfect, some called her. Admired by some, hated by others.

Hated by others, such as a certain Fred Weasley.

Fred, along with his twin brother George, had maintained a reputation for pranks about the school. They had the potential to be just as good about their schoolwork as Miss Arduer, but they didn't seem to care much about homework and the like. Pranks were far more interesting than writing a page about some potion you would never hear of again. George didn't seem to have much of a problem with Gigi. In fact, he didn't care much about the girl. They had their differences, they weren't friends, and he left it at that. Fred, however, had a burning dislike for the girl, and Gigi didn't exactly harbor any good feelings towards him in return. They hated each other, and that was that.

Why did they have such a negative view towards the other? It could've been anything. It could've been as simple as the fact that he had red hair, and she had black. Hopefully, however, they had more sense than to be so hateful over something as random as hair color. Perhaps it was due to the fact that they just disagreed on things so much. Pranks to homework, goofing around to paying attention, the list went on. Whatever the reason, it seemed hopeless to try to change either Gigi's mind about Fred, or Fred's mind about Gigi.

And, if one was misfortunate enough to be in a room with Gigi and Fred, it would've been a wise suggestion to take cover, or get out of there. Most people had made clear of the common room, for now, just in case.

It was a Saturday, and Gigi Arduer had claimed her usual table in the Gryffindor Common Room. It was her last year – the N.E.W.Ts year – and she was being dutiful to her personal vow to do her best at everything she did. She had to make her parents proud. A pile of books was to her left, and her messenger bag on the right filled with extra quills, parchment, and inkwells. She was somewhat hunched over the sheet of parchment before her, and seemed rather consumed by what she was doing. An essay of some sort, that wasn't really due for another four days from now. Always the overachiever, Gigi wanted to get a head start on the assignment. It was sunny outside, and the sunlight that filtered through the clean, clear glass of the GCR's windows provided exceptional illumination. It also provided a continuous temptation to go outside, but Gigi wouldn't allow herself to take a break. It gave everyone else a reason to avoid the common room, but there were those few souls that didn't know that Miss Perfect was in there and had to come in from outdoors.

It just so happened that a certain redhead with the initials of 'F.W' had to be one of those uninformed people. It was always great to go outside. He and George had gone to Hogsmeade earlier that day, and had some fun at Zonko's. George had found a certain Alicia Spinnet, and Fred went back to school by himself to avoid getting stuck with romance. The idea of it wasn't so bad, if it was the right girl, but if it wasn't the right girl then it was rather horrid, and Fred would rather not have to think about it. Hands shoved in his pockets, he walked in through the portrait hole, smile on his face. Smile, that is, until his eyes landed on the room's only other occupant. He frowned. Gigi Arduer. She just had to be in there when he had to come back inside. Pity, too; he'd gotten bored of the grounds. So, deciding to be stubborn, Fred wouldn't go about this easily and just go back outside. No, he would have fun with this, bugging the daylights out of this girl.

"Don't you ever do anything else?" he asked, snatching the parchment up off the table while her hand had been lifted to dip her quill into the inkwell. "This has a better tan than you do. What are you, sunlight-intolerant?" Gigi's eyes widened as she discovered that her paper was gone. He did not just touch her paper. That was completely against the rules of getting along with Gigi when she was on a working kick. A hard glare formed on her face as she looked up at him.

"Can I have my essay back, or do you just want to keep it due to its tan?" she queried, with a tone that was clearly not amused. "I knew you weren't lucky in the romantic field but going after parchment? You need help." Fred narrowed his eyes back at her, and considered ripping it in half, but then she could just have it back together with a quick spell. But what if he ripped it up in more than two pieces? Then she would have to arrange it all, so the words were in order, and that would undoubtedly be a tedious task.

"It does, though. You look unhealthy. Ever compare yourself to the color of a dead body – maybe even the smell of one? Do people call you Greasy Arduer, sometimes?" Alright, sure, she took showers daily just like every other girl in Hogwarts. It was a way to insult her, was it not? It worked, too, judging by the harshness that was added to the look on her face and the annoyed way she would tap her fingers against the wooden surface of the table.

"Can I have it back, please?" she asked again. "I would rather like to finish it, if you don't mind." She had already gotten three inches of the darn thing completed, and there was no sense to stop now, now that she was on a roll.

"Hm, let me think. No," Fred answered simply, darting away from her with the parchment in tow, and positioning his hands to make it look like he would indefinitely rip the thing in half. Gigi's eyes widened and she pushed her chair away from the table.

"I'm warning you, Weasley. Give it back, right now," Gigi growled. The look on her face looked oddly threatening, which was surprising, coming from such a goody-goody (in Fred's opinion).

"I don't suppose you're going to do anything about it if I don't," he mused, making a tiny rip at the top of the parchment, and Gigi's eyebrow twitched slightly. "You wouldn't dare do anything and you know it. Miss Perfect Prefect." The rip became a bit longer.

"So I try to avoid getting into bad situations. Give me back my essay!" she stood up, fists clenched. Would she hit him? Probably not, despite how much she would've liked to introduce her knuckles to his face. Fred was right, and Gigi knew it. She wouldn't dare do anything.

"Make me," the teenage boy said simply, a smug look on his face, as he was sure he had her beat. Gigi snatched up her wand.

"Accio parchment." The parchment flew out of his hands and back to her. That didn't stop Fred; sure, she had her essay back. Anyone could accio something back to his or herself. In that sense, she hadn't done much of anything to be proud of at all.

"Oh, wow, you can make it come back to you. I'm really scared of you now…" He continued talking, but Gigi was tuning him out. Sitting back down, she picked up her quill again, and skimmed over what she had already written down. Wouldn't want to write something down twice, after all. "There you go again!" His voice started up all over again, and he rolled his eyes at her. "You have problems."

"You think so?"

"Who doesn't?"

"Me, that's who. I think you have it mixed up due to your problems, rather than mine." Once again, she began to tune him out, as he rambled put-downs and the like at her. Try as she might, Gigi couldn't tune it all completely out, and the anger began to build inside of her. Finally, she stood up again and grabbed her wand, and pointed it at him.

"Silencio!"

Silence followed this, and Gigi was stunned. She had actually hexed someone, even if it was with a simple silencing spell. She had silenced Fred Weasley. Shut him up, until she felt like releasing him from its magical clutches. Fred had a look of pure anger and hate towards her, and there was no doubt in Gigi's mind that he would certainly be saying things his mother wouldn't have been proud to hear come out of his mouth. Dropping her wand on the table, a triumphant look came over her, and she laughed.  
"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" This didn't make Fred any happier with her, at the moment, and Gigi didn't quite care. "That's what you get for being such a git." She sat back down and attempted to get back to work on her essay, while Fred stood there in utter silence.

He, Fred Weasley, had been silenced by, of all people, Miss Perfect! This either had to be a sure sign that the world was ending, or that she was finally coming around. Either one of those reasons, or this was a nightmare. As he tried to insult her again, he couldn't hear any words escape, and sat down. A childlike sulk rose to his face, and somehow it managed to have an effect on Gigi. With a sigh of defeat, she picked up her wand, and let him go from the wrath of Silencio.

Eh, at least he had been quiet for about five minutes or so. That was better than nothing, and she had actually done something about his annoying nature, for once.

This was just one of the many showdowns that would occur between the two enemies, at random times. It didn't matter when, or where; if either one provoked the other enough, and crossed that line, they would be practically at each other's throats ready to kill one another.  
Brainiac versues Prankster. Who would win?


	2. Contempt Reborn

Gigi Ardeur hadn't changed much, since her days at Hogwarts. She still took pride in herself for intelligence, she still had a tendency to think before acting (most of the time), her temper was still fiery when provoked, and she thought she continued to harbor contempt for Fred Weasley. Even now, at 25 years of age, it hadn't disappeared. Although it had grown dormant, and the woman barely remembered the extent of her dislike, it was still inside, just waiting for the opportunity to spill out again.

Today was a nice opportunity. Paige McOwen was Gigi's best friend, and had been since childhood. On this fateful summer day, the vibrant young female was to be married, to none other than George Weasley. They were very much in love, and neither of them had any real idea of the disaster that would engulf the wedding party. For the element of surprise, neither would tell the other whom their side of the wedding was, as far as Maid of Honor and Best Man were concerned. Naturally, then, neither Gigi nor Fred had much to go on to know who they would be paired with. Until the actual wedding ceremony, that is.

Miss Ardeur had just arrived where Paige and George had decided to have everything: the Burrow. If a church had been aware of their magical heritage, they certainly wouldn't have been granted any access to the sanctuary for this. It went against religions, wizardry and such. So the Burrow had been chosen, and it was only now that Gigi began to wonder, with a sick feeling that settled in her stomach, what Fred's part in the ceremony would be. Lord knows he would have one; he was George's twin brother, after all. _Please let it not have to do that much with me, _she thought, _I'm still not exactly fond of him._

As she walked closer to the Weasley family home, she could see her friend on the porch. Paige was cuddling with her husband-to-be, looking rather happy indeed. Gigi would've had to admit that they made an adorable couple. For a fleeting moment she was even jealous of the love her dearest friend had found, and bitter disdain churned inside of her with such thoughts. Love had not been too kind to Gigi. 25 years old, and she hadn't had anything close to a relationship since Hogwarts, and that had only been quick, pointless dates to various balls.

Nobody liked a perfect kid.

Gigi pushed the negativity out of her mind. This was Paige's wedding day, and Gigi would not let her bad luck dampen the mood. Weddings were supposed to be joyous occasions, were they not?

"I thought the groom wasn't supposed to see the bride before the wedding?" Gigi asked as she drew closer to the couple. Paige jerked her head off of George's shoulder and grinned, with a wave.

"Yeah, well, we're the exception," she replied. She had her fingers linked with George's and squeezed his hand happily, to which George returned the sign of affection and smiled.

"You need to get ready, then," he said, and moved to stand. He tugged Paige up with him, and she nodded with a light smile of her own. "Go on. We can't get married if we don't do anything." After a quick kiss, Paige had grabbed Gigi's hand, and pulled her along to the bride's area.

"So how does it feel to be getting married?" Gigi figured she could at least try to be happy by making conversation, and Paige's happiness was overwhelming. A grin was plastered onto her face and it didn't seem like it would be leaving anytime soon.

"Oh, Gigi, it's wonderful," she said, in a blissful sigh. "George is amazing. He's incredibly dedicated and loving, and it's so obvious how much he loves me. This just verifies it all." Gigi bit back her spiteful remarks on how she was left alone, and forced a smile.

"Well, I'm very happy for you. Really, I am," she confirmed, as she looked over the gorgeous white gown that Paige was to wear. "Remember how we'd always dream of being Maid of Honor at each other's wedding? At least it's coming true for one of us."

"Oh, Gigi," Paige sighed. This time it wasn't as cheerful. "Don't think like that. Your guy is bound to come along sometime." Gigi shrugged. Did she believe what Paige was saying? After this long and not even anything past first dates, Gigi was having second thoughts on the whole "Prince Charming" Theory. Perhaps she needed to cut back on what she wanted. Not every guy that came along could meet up to every single one of her expectations, immediately. If she stopped being so picky, maybe – probably – she would have better luck in the romance field.

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't talk like that when we're supposed to be getting ready – Speaking of which, aren't you supposed to have this on by now?"

Eventually, the girls were ready, and the ceremony could begin. Due to a slight inconvenience, however, it wasn't close to starting.

"There is no way I'm being escorted by him," Gigi insisted, a miserable look present on her face.

"You don't have to," Paige began, pausing before she went on. "The Maid of Honor walks by herself." Well, that was a relief. Gigi allowed herself to relax.

"I can live now." Paige seemed to hesitate, then. Gigi couldn't imagine why. What was there for Paige to possibly hesitate over?

"There's one thing, though… You have to dance with him." Ah, well, that was something to hesitate over.

"What?" Gigi cried in horrified shock. "I have to _dance_ with Fred? Paige! How could you go through with something like this?" The bride rolled her emerald eyes in slight apathy.

"In case you forgot, Gigi, this is my wedding, and no offense to you, I'm not going to go out of the way to make sure you're happy. Save it for when you're the one getting married." She turned and walked away, in the direction of her potential mother-in-law.

Wow. Paige was being quite unsympathetic to Gigi's feud. Gigi just stood there, at first, as the words sunk into her mind. Basically, she was stuck dancing with Fred, whether she wanted to or not, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. As the saying went, "grin and bear it."

Of course, it wasn't as if Fred was any happier about it than Gigi was.

"Her?" Fred groaned, while he ran his hand back through his ginger hair. "You've got to be kidding me." George shook his head, although reluctant to do so.

"I wish I were, mate, but I'm serious," he said. Poor Fred. he thought. At least they don't have an arranged marriage like medieval times. Fred groaned again. Not Gigi Ardeur. Anyone but Gigi Ardeur.

"Blood hell," grumbled the disgruntled male. "I might as well dance with a werewolf."

"Come off it, Fred. She can't be that bad. Besides you haven't seen her for eight years," George mused, with a light smirk. Fred looked at him incredulously and blinked.

"Yes she can, George," he said. "Yes she can. And _you_ let me get stuck having to dance with her!" He glared at his brother in a hurt sort of way, and George rolled his eyes.

"It's for once dance. You're not going to die from one dance."

"You never know. She could be one of those psychopaths that kill based on their hate for someone…"

"Fred, Gigi's not a psychotic murderer hell-bent on getting rid of you because of how much she didn't like you at school," George sighed. Frustration in his voice was obvious, and he shook his head slightly. "Now will you please let it go so we can start the wedding? I'd rather not wait all day."

After a while, the wedding had gotten underway, and Paige was declared Mrs. George Weasley. It was true that there had been a relatively small number of guests, but the tradition of a greeting line was put into effect. The wedding party had stood there for a good hour, perhaps longer, chatting and laughing with people who cared to speak to them. Then came the reception, which was, in short, the part that both Fred and Gigi were dreading.

The food came and went. The toasts to the newlyweds flew by just as fast. The dancing came all too soon, and Paige and George had to practically drag Fred and Gigi with them.

"Will you stop being so immature?" Paige hissed in Gigi's ear. "It's the wedding party dance. You're the Maid of Honor, and Fred's the Best Man. Dance together, and stop being such a brat." Was she being a brat? Gigi wondered if she was or not. Something urged her to snap back at Paige and proclaim that she was certainly _not_ being bratty or something so petty, but in truth, she knew she was being rather ridiculous about the whole thing. With a meek nod, Gigi decided she might as well cooperate. George had had something of the same short conversation with Fred, who had more than likely thought along the same lines as Gigi. Cooperation did indeed seem to be the best option here. They looked at each other, hesitant. Do I really have to do this? He's so…ugh. Gigi thought, cringing inside. Why did she have to pick _her_ to be Maid of Honor? Fred wondered. George shot him a look, as the music began softly, which cued the couples to begin dancing. Fred now had no choice but to take up Gigi's hand, and now neither of them had any other option than to dance. The music intensified gradually in volume, so it could actually be heard. Gigi couldn't help but notice how happy everyone else seemed to be. Paige, who was significantly shorter than George, never took her eyes off of George, while he simply stared back at her. Neither of them seemed to take notice of anyone else's existence in the world right now. Cute. Gigi thought. I wish I could be like that with someone. A small smile had crawled onto her face by the time she looked away, and her eyes had only one person to land on: Fred, of course.

Ironically, thoughts that were uncannily like Gigi's were running through his mind. Look at them. he said to himself. They're perfect for each other. They really are, even if Paige is a prat… I guess she can't be all that bad, if George can love her as much as he does. He shook himself out of this emotional state of thinking, and looked down at Gigi. He noticed her hair, how dark it was and how the curls cascaded just so around her face and body. It came down to her mid-back. He noticed her eyes, how intense their silvery color was. A small, barely noticeable green ring went around her pupil, and he had to really search for that. She's really quite pretty. he thought. Wait a minute. What am I saying? This is Gigi Ardeur. She's not pretty! Fred abruptly tore his eyes away from hers and stopped the study of her face, watching those around him rather than the distracting woman in front of him, whose hand he was obligated to hold until the dance was finished and whose waist he was obligated to keep his arm around. Humiliating, considering the status between the two.

I forgot how many freckles he has. Gigi thought to herself, as she almost smiled. They're cute. His hair is gorgeous, too. It was hard to keep her eyes away from him. Hard, but not impossible. Gigi was managing to do so somehow, after all.

After a while, though, it was hopeless for the both of them, and their eyes traveled right back to straight forward and therefore at each other.

"You know," Fred began, "your eyes are really pretty." What'd you say that for? Bloody hell, Gigi isn't supposed to be pretty. You're supposed to be calling her Greasy and insulting her. Even with such thoughts, he couldn't help but smile a little when he saw the slight grin that formed on Gigi's face.

"Aw, thank you… Nobody's really commented much on my eyes before," she replied. In all honesty, she was exceptionally flattered, even if he was Fred Weasley and she still strongly disliked him.

"Yeah, they're like… the color of sickles," Fred went on, and instantly Gigi frowned. Sickles? Her eyes reminded him of silver sickles? Uh! Was that the best thing he could think of?

"Sickles?" she repeated him. Her facial expression clearly read 'you must be joking.' "My eyes remind you of silver sickles?" Fred's face flushed. That had been a brilliant move on his part. What kind of man compared a woman's eyes to a form of currency?

"At least I could think of anything at all," he muttered. God, this was embarrassing.

"You could've come up with something better than that!"

"It was the first thing that came to mind. Give me a break."

"You could at least apologize!"

"What for, trying to compliment you? You want me to say I'm sorry for trying to be nice to you?"

"I want you to apologize for comparing my eyes to money!"

Obviously they were mad at each other, and their voices had escalated to drown out the music – that was no longer playing, either way. The dance had ended a moment or so ago, and the argument between the two was watched by everyone. The concept of being civil toward one another had made itself scarce.

"Just shut up, alright? I don't want to hear you screeching at me over your stupid eyes!" Fred finally snapped, a glare shot at his verbal opponent.

"Fine! It's not like I want to deal with your hopeless immaturity, anyway!" Both of them turned and stalked off in the opposite directions.

Paige had witnessed all of this, and looked at George with a look of despair. This had been an utmost disaster, and both of them knew it all too well. At least, had either of them the need to be married again, they knew a mistake not to make a second time.


	3. Crying

It was safe to say that Gigi was a mess. The hate inside of her was still there. After this long, she had hoped it would've at least lessened. If anything, it had remained the same as always, it not increased its hold on her. Oh, it only it could've come out after the wedding reception was over! It just _had_ to come out in the middle of the dance. God. she thought. I'm so pathetic.

She didn't really have a clue where she was. After they had exploded at each other, neither had paid much heed to where they went. As long as it wasn't near the other, it didn't matter much to them. Fred was at an advantage; his knowledge of the area was far superior to Gigi's. He had been raised there, after all. No matter what, he would have a vague idea of where he was, while Gigi, on the other hand, was getting herself miserably lost. Lost in Weasley territory. Terrific.

Her dress was getting dirty. Its once lavender color was gradually becoming brown towards the bottom, thanks to her aimless running about and how it was close to the ground, and it was torn in a few places. Her shoes had fallen off somewhere, which was just as well; it was easier to run without them. A tired sigh escaped her lips. Where am I, now?… This was smart… Gigi sat down on the ground and let out another sigh. Why did Fred have to be such an ass? Honestly. It was stupid. Both of them were being stupid.

It wasn't often that Gigi Ardeur was being stupid and could admit it to anyone, even herself.

Why am I getting so upset over this? she wondered. So Fred Weasley had messed up and had mildly offended her. So what? It had happened all the time during Hogwarts; why should it make any difference now? Clearly the two of them were far from getting along. They never had, so why would they now? It was expected, the tedious spats between Gigi and Fred. Expected! Gigi knew it was, she knew it was okay, yet her conscience wasn't satisfied with it. It wasn't right. It wasn't right to have been away from each other for eight years, and still be at each other's throats. The thought seemed absurd and the obvious, best solution was to let bygones be bygones. Could they – would they? – do such a thing?… Perhaps. Certainly it would take some time, but perhaps they could manage to be civil to each other.

For now, though, this awful hatred remained, and it was absolutely horrible. So horrible, in fact, that Gigi was surprising herself with her reactions. Sitting there, lost and alone, and thinking about what Fred had said, Gigi had started to cry.

I shouldn't have gotten so upset. she told herself. He meant well. There aren't that many things to compare gray eyes with, anyway. When she thought about it like that, it didn't seem insulting at all for him to say her eyes reminded him of silver sickles. It wasn't the most romantic description she had ever heard, far from it. In a weird way, though, it was sweet. And she had been a plain bitch about it.

Tears stung her cheeks are they rolled down. Her makeup ran, leaving black around her eyes and streaks of foundation and blush on her face. Why did she have to be so opinionated all the time? It would ruin her some day unless she did something about it. Gigi knew it would. It was her undoing already in her love life. She had too many ideas and was just so damn opinionated! The guys that ever showed any interest in her were… well, she didn't know exactly, but the word that came to mind was 'scared.' To Gigi, it seemed like they were afraid of how… how… well. How headstrong she was. If she could tone it down a little, and not be so defensive and wary about the male gender, then maybe… just maybe she could find someone. Someone that could love her and just plain _be there for her. _Isn't that what any girl wanted – or any guy, for that matter? Who didn't want someone to love them? A sad, soft smile came over her face. Fat chance of that happening. There was no way that Gigi could stop being the way she was, for anyone. They would just have to accept her as she was and if she was too opinionated for them, so be it.

By now, her fallen tears had made small, wet spots on her dress. My kingdom for a tissue. she thought, wiping her cheeks dry with the back of her hand. She sniffled and waited for herself to calm down. Now that she had stopped crying, a strange sort of calmness had settled over her. It was nice, though why she had started in the first place kept eluding her mind. It bothered her. Why would Gigi Ardeur cry over a fight with Fred Weasley? That made absolutely no sense at all. It was crazy.

Maybe it meant she was sick and tired of having such a grudge against him, and wanted to be his friend. By now, Gigi didn't even remember what had triggered their disdain for one another. They were being foolish, she knew, but the idea of just letting it go and trying to be friends after so long seemed just as foolish, if not more so. Furthermore, it would be difficult to start a friendship after hating each other since the age of 11. No, that couldn't have been the reason she had cried.

…Could it?

The thought plagued her as she stood up and brushed off the skirt of her dress, and some of her hair behind her ears. Her eyes were still red and slightly puffy, but she didn't care, as she began to walk back. She went slowly, savoring the time she had left alone, then stopped again and looked at the sky. The azure color was so pretty. It made her smile. Somehow the beauty of the vast space above the world gave her reassurance that everything would be alright. With a crack, Gigi was gone, having chosen to apparate back to the Burrow. She wanted a piece of that wedding cake, and hopefully something there would get her mind off of wondering what had triggered the tears. Then she could go home, and she wouldn't have to see Fred again. Things would be back to normal and she could forget all about this whole ordeal.

Everything would be alright. Gigi wholeheartedly believed it would.

Everything had _better_ be alright.


	4. Christmas is a Time for Togetherness

Time passed. Fred didn't see Gigi, and, likewise, Gigi didn't see Fred. Did either of the two ever think about each other? Absolutely not, and as far as anyone knew, it was better that way. Of course, whatever related to Fred and Gigi that was "better that way" couldn't stay the same way.

Especially when you got the rest of the Weasley brood involved.

Why them? It's a sad story, but the rest of the events may not make any sense unless you know, so while you're perfectly welcome to ignore all of this, you're also perfectly welcome to read on.

In the time that passed from the wedding to the present day, most of the Weasley seven (Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, Fred, Ron, and Ginny, in case you happen to be uninformed somehow) had weddings of their own, with the exception of Ginny who was in the process of planning hers, and Fred who was having a rather unfortunate time with women. He was now 30 years of age, and barely any relationships he had been in had lasted past a couple of days. The rest of his family had been supportive the whole time, and had given advice and anything else that happened to be useful (or not), but now it was time to take matters into their own hands. For weeks now, Fred had been set up with girls, in hopes that one of them would put a stop to his bachelorism. Also for weeks now, Fred had found something wrong with each and every one of them, and so the quest to find someone for Fred was discouraged and seemed quite hopeless indeed.

Paige, however, was not about to give up so easily, and with a bit of trickery on her part, the return of everyone's favorite smarty-pants was brought about. So begins a Weasley Christmas that would surely be unforgettable…

The Burrow was full of Christmas cheer (and redheads). Even Fred was happy; he'd forgotten all about being set up once again. He and Bill were bringing decorations down from the attic, and it seemed to be enough of a distraction for him. Molly, the original Mrs. Weasley, was cooking. Ron and Hermione (Mrs. Ronald Weasley, for your information, and it was really about time they got together) were situating the tree just so, so it wasn't horribly out of shape and ugly despite embellishment, and whatever else needed done was being done by everybody else. That was when Paige, George, and Gigi arrived, though Paige was practically dragging Gigi in. While she knew she was supposed to be a date for a Weasley, she wasn't aware of exactly which one. Fred of course had no idea of the plan at the moment, and even if he did remember, there was no way he would've know beforehand who they'd found for him this time.

"Don't forget to smile!" Paige said, looking ecstatic, and she wandered off to find the others, George having no choice to go after her, as she didn't let go of his hand. Thus, Gigi was left on her own. Of course, Paige had gone to the kitchen to inform Mrs. Weasley that Fred's date was there; just to let her know there wasn't a random stranger in the house, you know.

"Sorry!" two voices said at once. Gigi had accidentally backed into someone. Someone thought they'd back into her. They both turned around and it was a wonder why nobody screamed. Fred saw Gigi. Gigi saw Fred.

The family braced themselves.

For a while nobody said anything, and the two single ones just stared at each other. It made perfect sense now, to Gigi, why she was there. The rest of them were married. All the other Weasleys were married! Fred was the only one alone, and Gigi was the only non-Weasley there, so it made sense to Fred why she was there, too. They didn't look too happy about it. In fact, they looked horrified. Finally they unfroze, as it were, and backed away slowly from each other.

_Stay calm._ Gigi thought. _Just stay calm. Blowing up won't help anything._

_Bloody hell, whoever brought her here is so going to pay._ Fred said to himself. To him, any sane person would know not to even think of bringing that woman anywhere near him. So, of course, he knew it was all Paige's fault.

"Hello Fred," Gigi said coolly. Fred nodded slightly. Everyone else still braced just in case hell was unleashed, as they all feared would happen any moment now.

"Gigi," he said in reply. What now? They knew the purpose, were undoubtedly going to try their hardest to avoid it anyway, had greeted one another… What now?

Silence settled in again, until Paige emerged from the kitchen. She saw what was going on, and became determined to make them acknowledge the other more than that. Oh boy.

"Good! You found each other, I'm guessing you know what's supposed to happen?" At least somebody else was able to speak. Gigi and Fred nodded grimly, eyes still on the person in front of them, in disgust. Paige just smiled. "Good! Come on, then; don't just stand there gawking!" Thankfully her words seemed to rouse everyone, and soon enough the place was busy again.

Paige, George, Fred, and Gigi all ended up decorating the tree. The foes tried to stay as far away from each other as they could, but then barely any of the tree was done on one side. Despite their efforts, they were stuck beside one another, miserable because of it.

"Don't even think of mentioning my eyes this time," Gigi muttered. Paige, who was trying to listen to the conversation from she and George's side of the tree, stifled a giggle. Fred, on the other hand, rolled his eyes.

"That wasn't even my fault," he said. "You took it the wrong way." Gigi didn't say anything this time, as she searched for a place to hang one of the various ornaments. On the other side of the tree, Paige frowned at the lack of conversation. Gigi wasn't even arguing with him! Not only was that weird, but it was also… well, okay, maybe just weird. After a bit of thought, Paige moved enough to "accidentally" push Gigi into Fred, which earned her a glare from both of them. She just grinned.

"Oops!" she said, as she skipped off to the kitchen once again. Time to check on those Christmas cookies, eh? George followed his wife, in case they did decide to explode. Both Fred and Gigi rolled their eyes and decorated in silence. Now not only were they quiet, but alone as well.

"I never would've expected you to be the only single Weasley," Gigi admitted after a minute or so of more silence. Given her current status with Fred (and how it had been since they were 11), it surprised herself that she would say that. It surprised Fred, too. He blinked a few times, even almost smiled.

"Why not?" he asked. "You're supposed to hate me. I thought you'd want me to be alone since I'm so unbearable." Gigi was tempted to snap at him, as it seemed like he was mocking her in a way, but she kept her cool (somehow).

"What do you mean, 'why not'?" She rolled her eyes. "Girls adored you when we were at Hogwarts. It doesn't make sense to me that you of all people would be single at 30." What am I doing? she thought. I hate Fred! I'm not supposed to talk about his romantic status with him!

"I guess," Fred said, but he shook his head regardless. "Those girls, most of them didn't know me, or George, at all. Not really. They wanted the smooth-talking, Quidditch beater prankster. Never looked past whatever me and George did." _That "smooth talking" was just you being an ass._ Gigi thought, though a little more contemplation of his words followed.

"So they were all shallow, basically?" Fred nodded. Gigi smiled a little. Somehow, it was relieving to know he didn't want just a pretty face or a hot body.

"Yeah, I'm kind of picky, I guess," Fred mused. They were quiet again, but not because they were annoyed; they were decorating again.

Paige peeked out on them, just in case they'd killed each other, and went back to helping her mother-in-law once she'd seen they were alright.

"You know, this is the first _civil_ conversation we've ever had," Fred observed. _Mostly because you've been a sarcastic bitch the entire time I've known you._ he thought. A smirk grew on her face as Gigi nodded.

"It's not so bad, either," she said. "We're a little too old to hate each other over something I can't even remember. What _did_ this whole thing start from?" Fred could only shrug his shoulders, as he levitated a Christmas ball to one of the branches near the top that they couldn't reach on their own, even with a height advantage.

"I have no idea," he admitted. "Probably something we'd laugh about now, though." He smiled, just a little bit, and Gigi… Gigi laughed. One could only wonder what two eleven-year-olds had come up with to hate each other over for years. For all they knew, it could've been because she had black hair and he had ginger, or freckles, or eye color, or some other pointless thing that had no effect on anything at all in the long run. Fred looked at her quizzically, head tilted slightly to the side. "What?"

"Nothing," she said. "It's just how stupid it probably was."

Paige came back out, and the conversation came to a stop. It had been fine to be civil for that short period of time alone, but to be civil in front of Paige would just give her the satisfaction of knowing that no matter how hard they tried to show disdain towards one another they were really fine. Giving Paige satisfaction about this was a definite no-no.

"Dinner's ready!" she announced.

So begins part two of this ordeal.

Author's note:o 

Hello readers! I'm so sorry for taking so long! D I meant to have a chapter for you guys sooner… but, well, obviously that didn't work out too well. More of Christmas time is to come, rest assured, but if I had it all in one chapter it would be so hugely long it scares me. So it'll be separated, so don't go thinking this is it!

'Kay, enjoy. o

**-Cru. 3**


	5. Kitchen Waterfights

Eventually, the whole group was done eating, and had gone back to the living room. Fred and Gigi had been temporarily able to forget about their problem, as nobody forced them to engage in conversation, but now that they weren't eating anymore, nobody had such a luxury.

Especially not Gigi and Fred. What did they have? They had magical mistletoe hanging overhead. Fred tried to move, unaware of the accessory above him, and found himself unable to do so. He frowned, and tried again, only to meet the same results. Gigi was getting the same thing. A few other Weasleys were snickering over the situation, including Paige.  
"Paige," Gigi began coolly. "What in Merlin's name did you do to us?" Paige giggled for a second time and pointed upward. Fred and Gigi both looked up, and a horrified look greeted their faces. "You're so cruel, Paige."

"You've got to be kidding me," Fred groaned, as he ran a hand back through his hair with a frown. This SO wasn't funny. Oh, when he got his hands on that witch…!

"Nope!" Paige assured, with a cheeky grin. "The best part is, it's magical mistletoe. Once it's in place—" She stopped, as Gigi's look became even more hopeless.

"It can't be removed until we kiss," Gigi finished, wincing just at the thought. It was one thing to be set up with Fred for a so-called 'date.' It was another thing to actually start to get along with him. It was a completely new Quidditch pitch and then some to have to kiss him just to get out of the way of mistletoe.

"No," Fred objected, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest like a stubborn child. "There's a way out of this. There has to be. There's no way I'm kissing her." Gigi nodded earnestly in agreement.

_Though.. maybe it wouldn't be THAT bad… Wait. No. I didn't just think that. **Then why are your ears red?** Because.. they just are. Shut up._

"Kiss him! Kiss him! Kiss him!" Paige urged, a grin never budging from her face. This was way too good to hide how much it amused her. The rest of the group wasn't exactly helping the two, teasing them to no end, until finally something had to give.

"Fine!" Gigi sighed in exasperation.

"If it'll make you all be quiet.." Fred growled, at the same time.

Then came the moment everyone had all been waiting for. Fred and Gigi kissed each other, for barely more than a second, but lip-to-lip contact was all that was needed to break the mistletoe's hold over them. How was it? Not bad. Not bad at all, though of course neither of them would ever think of revealing such a detail. Gigi shuddered, Fred rolled his eyes, and sooner or later everyone went back to their business.

Mrs. Weasley, however, was cleaning up the kitchen and the dining room, and the majority of the family decided that she shouldn't have to work so hard, for once. Who would do the job instead? It was decided that Fred and Gigi would do the work for dear old Molly. No matter how much they argued, it was up against a good point. Mrs. Weasley always had to do all the work, and it was Christmas; shouldn't she, of all people, get to spend it out of the kitchen?

Besides, this way Fred and Gigi were alone.

So, with arguing as good as useless, the two ended up in the kitchen. Did either of them have a wand? Unfortunately for them, no. Paige had commandeered Gigi's for the time being, and Fred just didn't know exactly where his was. It looked like they would just have to do the dishes by hand, which wasn't so bad. They weren't going to die from doing the dishes. They might die from being cooped up in the kitchen with each other for however long the job took to complete, but that was a different story.

Neither of them spoke for a long time. Both of them were busy scrubbing dishes, and it wouldn't have made much of a difference for one of them if a wand had been around or not. Fred's dishwashing skills were as good as his dishwashing spells. In other words, there was no point in him helping at all, except for the fact that they were forced into it, and what the poor dears were unaware of: everyone else's romantic intentions, regarding them. Thank Merlin that Gigi was a female and had more experience in these things, even if her family was significantly smaller than the Weasley brood.

"I like your family," she said after a while, in an attempt to get at least a little conversation started. "Your Mum is really nice… And I didn't mix anybody up." A slight grin formed on her face, at her last remark. With that many Weasleys to keep track of, she had a right to be proud of herself for keeping their names straight, especially through her tornado-like emotions. Fred had heard her words, but was still scrubbing his first plate as Gigi moved on with ease. He would have to be more appreciative of his mother from now on; this was harder than it looked, if you had next to no experience.

"That's good," he said, with a small grin. _Oi, that was too nice._ he thought to himself. "A lot of people say that about Mum… and the rest of them, for that matter.. Sometimes, though, I just wish it wasn't so.. big…"

"Here, you don't need to wipe that hard. Swipe in circles and it gets more quicker," Gigi suggested. She'd just thought that she would give him a little advice; it worked faster for her, most of the time. Why wouldn't it work for him? "I'm a little jealous, honestly. I have a small family… I mean, yeah, it'd get a little annoying to have this many people, but it'd get like that in every family…I was just lonely. It wasn't fun." She doubted he cared about if she'd been lonely or not. It got her point across, as to why she'd been somewhat jealous of him.

Fred blinked. She, Gigi Ardeur, had been jealous? Of _him_, Fred Weasley? That was a little more than a bit surprising. Not that it wasn't a nice surprise. He listened to her suggestion, and another surprise hit him: her way to wash worked better, after all. The man shook his head, however. "It's not that great… You've got Ginny who can get away with anything, Ron who whines, Percy the Prefect, Charlie the dragon-tamer, Bill who breaks curses in Egypt, and George, who although most people don't know it, is the brain behind most of our operations. I'm just the one crazy enough to do them," he said, with a little grin. "Then you've got Mum, one of the most amazing women in the world for putting up with all of us, and Dad, who works to practically no end at the Ministry…" Fred trailed off, rinsing the dish he had finished with and taking up a new one.

"Well, someone has to do them, right?" Gigi mused, with a light shrug to her shoulders as she continued to scrub at her current plate. "I have to admit, as crazy as you both were, the things you did really were hilarious… I was a little jealous of that, too. You and George, you did things, and people liked it… well, unless they were professors.." It was hard for her to believe that she was opening up like this to him, of all people, with confessions of her childhood, and possibly eluding that the reason she had disliked him so much was because she was envious. In all honesty, Gigi didn't even remember what had driven her to hate him so. It was more than likely something small and pointless, and it would've embarrassed Gigi by now.

"You were jealous of me?" Fred asked, as his eyebrows went up slightly. Wow. That was news to him. Rather unexpected news, for that matter. "You know… There were times I was.. kind of… jealous of you too, I guess." He paused for a moment to think of how to put this, then went on. "I mean, George and I got decent marks, but you were smart… We just weren't like that. I'm sure it would've made Mum happier if we would've brought home more than three O.W.L.s. That, and if we hadn't dropped out… but that's another story."

"I don't blame you for dropping out," Gigi mused. "It's not like anyone wanted to stay there while that fat toad was around. Not unless they were in Slytherin." Inside, she was trying to figure out if he had been trying to make her feel a little better, or if he had really meant it. Had he really been jealous of her, for being smart?… Oh, lord. This was messed up. The brainiac, jealous of the prankster, and the prankster, jealous of the brainiac. It was indeed messed up, but it made Gigi smile a little. "You were really jealous of me?… Aw…" Fred grinned slightly from her reaction, the inconspicuous red on his face deepening. "Yeah. You weren't getting howlers every week in the mail, now were you?" He began to pay more attention to the dishes, and sputtered slightly as a plate slipped from his grasp into the murky, soapy water, splashing them both. "Sorry," he apologized, shaking his head a bit. Gigi, however, was laughing. She had yelped at first, but after she had figured out what had initially happened, it wasn't a big deal.

"It's alright. It's only water," she said. It wasn't like he had splashed acid on her, after all. Hopefully they weren't trying to wash dishes in acid, as that would be rather dangerous, not to mention stupid. Her reaction gave Fred an idea, though, and he grinned a sly little grin.

"If you're sure…" He trailed off, as he picked up his plate again and resumed scrubbing. Once that was finished, however, rather than picking up another plate, he splashed water purposely in Gigi's direction. Heh heh heh.

"Hey!" Now there was a wet spot on her shirt, part of her arm, and even the lower part of her hair was damp. It would've been a good thing for Fred to learn how to aim his splashes. "I didn't mean you could do it for fun, you know!" Contrary to what she had just said, Gigi splashed him back, and poked her tongue out at him. Splash her, would he… Hmph!

"Oh? And what was that for, then?" Fred asked as he arched a brow. Once again, he returned the watery favor to Gigi, and he shook his head, sending water droplets in every direction. Needless to say, the area of the floor beneath them was getting wet.

"You didn't think I'd let you get away with it without getting wet, did you?" Another yelp spurted from her lips as she was made wet again, and she splashed him back a second time. The poor dishes had to share their water with the floor, Fred, and Gigi.

"Not really," Fred admitted. They could always get more water. With that thought in mind, Fred picked up a cupful of water, and dumped it over Gigi's head. "Ha," he said, with a smug tone to his voice.

"That was SO uncalled for!" Gigi exclaimed, looking at how wet she had become now. And they couldn't even dry off without leaving the kitchen. What would everybody think? Oh, well. She supposed it didn't much matter now; they were already wet, anyway. In retaliation, she dumped a small bowl over Fred.

"That's just lovely," the Weasley muttered with an attempt to keep the water out of his eyes. Once again, a sly grin came to his face, and he dumped not one, but two bowls over Gigi's head. Ha.

"I'm wet enough, thank you!" Gigi sputtered. By now her hair was close to completely straight. She looked for something to get him back with, and there it was. A pot. Rather than calling a truce, she picked it up and dumped the water it had contained over Fred. Now Fred was completely soaked, and cold, and wet (which should've been a little more than obvious by now).

"You know, we should probably do the dishes now," he said. "Or not." Gigi shrugged.

"Probably, or we could wait until one of us gets a wand."

"That won't be for a while yet, I don't think," Fred admitted. Moving towards the door, he slipped in a puddle made from their water fight, and grabbed onto the closest thing to try to stay upright. The closest thing happened to be Gigi, and she came down with him. Rather than beside him, she ended up on top of him.

"Smooth." She decided not to say anything regarding their position, or how they wouldn't have been in that position had he not splashed her. It wasn't like her side had done anything to stop it, after all.

"Um… sorry," Fred said, as he once again flushed crimson. What was he supposed to say, when he had Gigi Ardeur lying on top of him, after he had slipped?

"It's alright," said Gigi, breaking the silence, as she rolled off of him. She cringed, then. "I'm sitting in a puddle…" Fred sat up, rubbing his head, and grinned.

"Now you can be wet like me," he said, as he came to a stand. He held out his hand, trying for what, the third time now, to be civil towards her. Wow. That was odd. The least she could do was try to do the same for him, however, so Gigi found herself accepting his offered hand and taking hold of it, standing up as well.

"Thanks."

"No problem," Fred mumbled softly, as Gigi went back to getting the dishes done and over with. Eventually, the chore was actually finished, with only a single water fight. Thankfully.

When the two emerged to the living room, they found everyone with their significant other, each couple engaging in their own snuggle fest. It had worked out that only two places to sit were left, and they happened to be right beside each other. Gigi sighed and shook her head slightly, and went over there after drying both Fred and herself off with a helpful spell. Fred, not wanting to stand the entire time, sat beside her. He slouched, something of a scowl on his face. Gigi leaned forward, elbows on her knees, chin resting in the palms of her hands. Times like these, they were really left out. Just once it would've been nice to have someone to cuddle with, just one time.

"Isn't this lovely?" Fred sighed.

"Which part?" Gigi mumbled as she rolled her eyes. "Everyone else having someone, or us being beside each other again?"

"Gee, they both sound so wonderful," said Fred. The sarcasm was obvious in his voice, though not in his mind. _Well, it is. She's the only girl they've set me up with that I can actually stand… That I might actually want to be with… Wait. What?_ he thought.

"Don't they, though?" she sighed, still resting her chin on the palms of her hands, her elbows still on her thighs. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Paige had anything else up her sleeve. Any more mistletoe she'd suddenly use against herself and Fred, or whatever else the minx might happen to think of... Hopefully not (or was it really like that?).. Gigi didn't know anymore, and it bugged her. Fred, meanwhile, sighed again. He reached his hand up to scratch his head idly. He let it fall back with a thump, not realizing where it landed: on top of Gigi's hand. He jerked his away moments later, his face turning red as he looked the other way. Gigi had noticed it, but she hid her knowledge of the incident well, along with how she hadn't really been bothered by it. It felt kind of nice, but this was still Fred Weasley, and she was still unwilling to come remotely close to romantically linked to him. She looked away also, anyway, and seemed to be thinking.

Paige meanwhile was watching them, slightly, and while none of them were really looking over in her and George's direction, she levitated a clump of mistletoe over them for the second time in the time they had all been at the Burrow.

Fred sighed, wondering when something would happen. He was finding this Christmas to be rather dull, and the fact they were trying to set him up with someone he hated just seemed to make things worse. He sunk lower into his seat, falling into the slouch position he often took to. For now, he had no idea what was lingering above them. Gigi, however, got to find it first.

"Oh no," she groaned out of annoyance, and she shot a dirty look at Paige. That was cheap. So, so cheap. Paige grinned.

"What?" Fred asked. He quirked a brow slightly in confusion, then he looked up. "Perfect," he said. The sarcasm may as well have been dripping from his words. He sighed, and, looking down at her, he wondered fleetingly if he would mind it all that much. He kissed Gigi, and Gigi kissed him back, and though she wouldn't admit it to anybody, she smiled into it just a little. Fred rather enjoyed it himself, honestly, though it wasn't like he would ever admit it either. Soon they had parted, however, and Fred returned to his scowl and slouching position, while Gigi moved her elbows back over her knees and her chin was, once again, resting in her hands.

Nobody said anything about the events of this year's Christmas, especially events regarding Fred and Gigi. Paige left them alone for the rest of the time, and they were left to their own thoughts. Gigi was confused, trying to figure out just what she felt now about Fred. She didn't hate him anymore, and she wasn't all that jealous now. Likewise, Fred didn't hate Gigi now, either, and he wasn't too envious of her brains by this point. What did they feel, though?

Why did emotions have to be so damned confusing?


	6. Stupid Drunks and Naptime

**fear ze author's note, if you please**

I AM SO SO SO SORRY TO THE THREE PEOPLE I ACTUALLY KNOW READ THIS. .. This chapter has been -long- overdue. My summer was a total writer's block session for me, and now that I had a day to myself (does the Yay For Fog Cancellations dance), I finally got this up.

Forgive mee! ;; grovels

* * *

For some reason, the numerous stores throughout Diagon Alley had decided to throw a festival. The celebration would ultimately last three days, at the least. The purpose advertised was to bring wizards and witches together for some fun and cheer, though it was more than likely to boost the economy in the area.

It _had_ been the businesses that had came up with the idea, after all.

Gigi didn't plan on missing out on the festivities. For most of the day she had been there, running around with Paige and just having some fun. And, for the most part, it had been fun. However, some people could always have a little too much to drink, and poor Gigi hadn't thought about the possibility of having to deal with them.

Paige had gone back to the shop. She had wanted to see George, since she hadn't been there practically all day, and she was growing a bit weary of all the people. That had left Gigi on her own, and she sorely regretted not tagging along with her friend. That was just what she got for staying out past midnight in Diagon Alley's festival.

"Come on, sugar," a drunken wizard slurred, grinning like a madman. "Show me how sweet you are." Gigi blinked, raising a brow slightly. She wasn't very sweet, in her own opinion. She thought she was a bitch towards a lot of people. Of course, she had to keep in mind that this man was clearly under the influence of some form of alcoholic libation. He was certainly enough of a pest this way, though. He had been at this for at least 10 minutes, if not longer, and Gigi had continued to try to get away from him. It was only a matter of time before she had to get out of the traffic of people and had backed against a wall.

Actually it was against a front window of a shop, to be technical.

"No thank you," Gigi said for what felt like the millionth time. She swallowed nervously as the man still didn't get the point. She felt like a bug cornered and about to be squashed. She was stuck, and if the man had any of his wits about him at all, then he probably knew this. "There are plenty of other women around. Leave me alone."

"Ahh, you're just playin' hard to get," the man said. He didn't budge, and Gigi bit her lip slightly. This was ridiculous. She was scared of an intoxicated male, and she didn't really know why. She was strong enough that she could probably push him away and hide inside the shop before he knew what had happened. Yet she wouldn't do that; she didn't want to have to touch him unless she absolutely had to.

Now, Paige happened to be stuck on duty on the shop, and it was a habit of hers to watch what was going on outside when there was nothing to do behind the counter. It was no surprise her eyes strayed over there now, and they went rather wide quite quickly. There was no mistaking that head of black curls. But why would Gigi be pressed that hard against their window? It didn't make much sense to the woman, and she frowned. Hmm… _Maybe I should go get George, _she thought. _He'd help her out. _However, Paige soon had an even better idea, and grinned a bit to herself as she ran off to find Fred.

Gigi still wasn't having much luck. If anything, she was doing even worse. Her personal space was severely invaded, and she was on the verge of panicking.

"I'm serious. Leave me alone!" she said, as she tried to push back against the window even more. If she pressed much more, she was afraid she would break the glass. Given this was the wizarding world, however, the glass could've possibly been charmed. Hopefully it was. The drunk one chuckled and shook his head slightly.

"Serious, eh? A pretty thing like you ought to have a better name than that."

"It's not her name," a new voice said, "and I can't blame her for not telling you." Gigi quickly turned her eyes toward whoever was there – and grew in surprise when she saw that it was Fred. The pest quirked one of his eyebrows, and Gigi almost laughed at the absurd look on his face; it was meant to be something to the extent of 'mind your own business, kid,' though in his drunken state, it made him look rather simple instead.

"Look, kid," he grunted in annoyance. "I'm a little busy with Serious, here—"

"Not anymore you aren't." Fred didn't really know why he wanted to help Gigi. Paige had run into him before his twin, sure, and he wasn't going to just leave her out there, but… Just because he and Gigi had started to get along at Christmas didn't mean he was a friend! Sure, maybe he had missed Gigi, and maybe he had thought about sending an owl (he had told himself that it was just to bother her, for his own entertainment), but that meant nothing. It just meant he got tired of George and Paige, a lot of the time. "She doesn't need you. Get lost."

"Can't you find your own girlie? This one's mine." Poor drunkard. He still didn't get it. Fred wrinkled his nose slightly and shook his head.

"I said get lost," he repeated in a low growl, as his hands curled into fists.

"And I said to find your own girlie." Gigi glared at the man. She wasn't entirely appreciative of being talked about as if she was a thing.

"Get. Lost," Fred repeated for the third and final time, taking a step closer. His eyes had narrowed, and on close inspection, he looked absolutely livid. That was a bit surprising, to Gigi. "I'm not going to tell you again." To the man, Fred looked insane, not livid. Despite being intoxicated, he knew not to mess with people with mental problems. He shook his head some and backed away without a word. Predictably, he was chasing some other unfortunate female, in moments. Gigi, meanwhile, could've practically kissed Fred – she wouldn't, of course, but she was overjoyed to be rid of the other male. She considered hugging him, but that would've been awkward. Very. The thought that he had helped her – _her_, who he'd only started to be able to stand, last time she checked – get out of something she didn't want to be in, wasn't so bad. It made it easier for her to smile.

"Thanks," she said. _He's grown his hair out a little since Christmas… I like it_… Funny how Gigi could be reluctant to look away from Fred, wasn't it?

"No problem," the Weasley said, as he ran one of his hands back through his hair (that Gigi liked so much, but he wasn't really aware of that). "You're all right, then?" He already knew that she was, but it couldn't hurt to make sure. A surge of relief caused him to pause; what was that for? Was it because he had just helped Gigi? No, that couldn't possibly be right. There was just no way for that to be it.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the witch assured with a small nod. Nervousness remained on her face, though, as her eyes flickered through the remaining crowd of loud people. There had to be more people in there that had had one too many, and Gigi knew that. Fred wouldn't follow her around and save her again, and she wasn't about to ask him to do that. Fred figured out her nerves on his own, however.

"Paige's shift is over fairly soon," he mused. "I suppose I can put up with you until she's done behind the counter…" He grinned lightly while Gigi rolled her eyes – a smirk was on her face, though. That was a good sign, was it not?

"I'm special. First you save me and now you're putting up with me." Fred laughed softly and opened the door to the shop, letting Gigi go inside first. She saw Paige at the counter, talking to her Pygmy Puff (whose name was Boo), and not really paying attention to anything. _Typical Paige,_ Gigi thought to herself as she shook her head slightly. Fred blinked, noticing Gigi's look and actions, and tried to follow her gaze.

"Oi, Paige! I didn't think part of the job was to play with the Puffs," he noted. Paige jumped slightly, startled by the sudden voice, and gained a look that tried to pass off 'I don't know what you're talking about.' It didn't last too long, though; once she noticed Gigi, she grinned.

"I see you're not up against the window anymore," she observed. Gigi blinked, clearing her throat quietly, and looked at the floor. So that's how it had all happened. Paige had seen and had fetched Fred. Not Fred doing it on his own accord… Oh bother. "Don't worry. You didn't smudge the glass." Paige smiled when she saw that her comment had snapped Gigi out of the short spell of slight embarrassment. "I'll be done in an hour or so. Mogget's tired of George, last time I checked, so if you'd rather go see my cat than hang around with Fred, go right ahead." Fred rolled his eyes, while Paige's smile changed into a smirk, and Gigi grinned.

"So I have to choose?" she queried. Gigi figured she might as well be nice and enjoy herself while she was there, so she had shoved aside her status with Fred. For the time being, she would get along with all three Weasleys.

"Well, no, you don't have to," Paige replied, a smug little smirk right at home on her face. "Of course, it might raise suspicions that you actually _do_ get along with Fred…" Gigi didn't answer – she stuck her tongue out at Paige, instead, before smirking – and turned to Fred.

"Still think you can put up with me?"

Fred blinked and watched her head for the stairs that led up to the flat, smiled lightly and shook his head a bit, and followed after her – taking care to ignore Paige's amusement.

Both of them lost track of time, once they had gotten involved in conversation. George had gone downstairs to keep Paige company, and that left Gigi and Fred alone – unless you were to count Paige's cat, who was more interested in the wall than the two remaining humans. That was fine with the two, who really weren't all that interested in the cat, either.

Sadly, conversation couldn't last forever, and sleep was a necessity, whether it was appreciated or not. Gigi had been up long enough, according to her body, and when combined with an overly-comfortable couch… Tiredness was winning this battle. Gigi didn't really care when she shifted on the couch and leaned against Fred. He was there, and she was tired. Why not lean on him? If he had a problem with it, then surely he would say so, and Gigi would, of course, move. A highly simple solution, was it not? Gigi was expecting him to try to move away, or something else against it.

Fred, however, didn't fulfill her expectations. Since when had the Weasley twins ever done what was expected of them, anyway? He looked down at her, and almost smiled. It didn't feel so bad, having a girl's head on his shoulder like that – even if it _was_ Gigi. He knew she was tired; she could barely keep her eyes open anymore. In fact, upon further investigation into that, Fred found she _couldn't_ keep her eyes open anymore. Though she shifted slightly, nuzzling his shoulder without realizing it, Gigi was asleep.

She looks kind of pretty like that, when she's all… calm… Fred smiled as he watched the woman beside him. She really wasn't as bad as he had always thought she was. She was actually nice, and Fred liked her. Not in a romantic way. Fred didn't want to make himself sick by so much as thinking that he might like Gigi that way. You didn't get to know your previous nemesis then start to fancy them. It didn't work like that. Be that as it may, it didn't stop Fred from letting his head rest against Gigi's as he shut his eyes, nor did it keep his arm from slipping around her shoulders. Maybe Gigi wouldn't flip out if she woke up first. It was possible, wasn't it? Indeed it was. 

It was also possible that Paige wouldn't poke fun at either of the two if she found them cuddled up together like that, though it could certainly be debated how low the possibility was for that one.


End file.
